City launches one-stop diversion depot

The City of Brandon’s new one-stop recycling depot is now open for sorting.

The free-to-use diversion depot at the city’s Eastview Landfill allows residents to organize and separate waste materials that might otherwise go straight into the dump — and that will improve the city’s long-term finances, cleanliness and environment, Mayor Jeff Fawcett said Friday.

“This is a good, efficient system, and I like that we’re talking about things like landfill and diversion,” he said in an interview after a media event at the new site.

“Those are massive costs to municipalities. They’re not glamorous, but we need them, we use them every day.”

Previously, residents were able to drop off recyclables and organics at several locations across the city, but due to high maintenance costs, contamination and illegal dumping, the city shuttered the depots 10 months ago.

Fawcett said the one-stop depot will significantly reduce contamination and costs associated with staffing numerous sites.

While the depot is technically for Brandonites’ use only, there is no proof of residency check or a plan to introduce one soon.

Fawcett said staff won’t turn away someone driving from outside the city wanting to “do the right thing.”

Drivers enter the depot compound through the landfill’s southern entrance and pull forward to a main building. Staff will then direct users to the rear of the building, where several large metal bins are labelled to indicate what items go inside each one.

Items accepted at the diversion depot include recyclables such as flattened cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and aluminum cans, as well as tree branches, compost, linens, scrap metal, paint cans, batteries and clean wood (nails are fine but no paint, glue or plywood) and more.

One of the major benefits of the new system is that by the time residents are finished sorting and depositing their materials, only a small amount of trash will end up in the landfill, said Corey Wagner, the city’s manager of solid waste services.

The depot will ensure “reusable, compostable and recoverable materials are kept out of the landfill whenever possible,” Wagner told reporters on Friday.

“Every ton of material we can divert helps extend the life of the landfill. The longer we can make our landfill last, the more we can delay the significant cost associated with future landfill expansion,” he said.

The challenge, he added, will be the learning curve for residents familiar with the current setup at the landfill.

“It’s going to be an education feast for the first year,” Wagner said, adding that he hopes residents will have adapted to the new system by next spring.

Brandon resident Bill Myers, who was dropping off a trailer full of branches beside the new site the day before it opened, said he’s all in favour of the new system.

“It sounds great,” Myers said. “No charge? That’s great.”

He also said he’s glad staff will be there to help sort items that are brought in.

“It’s a good idea … instead of using the piles.”

City staff at the event said an educational video will be shared in the coming weeks explaining the new system to Brandon residents.

The official grand opening will be held today from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

» rgerrard@brandonsun.com